Easy Swedish Meatballs // Video

There’s nothing better than homemade meatballs and my version of Swedish Meatballs is the ultimate comfort food. Bathed in the BEST Swedish Meatball Sauce that’s a rich, creamy gravy and perched on a pile of buttery egg noodles, these are WAY better than IKEA!

This recipe was originally published in January 2016 and updated in May 2019. The playroom has been updated, as well. 🙂

We have a playroom in the basement that needs attention….desperately. I wanted to post a pic to show you just how disastrous the room is right not but it would hurt your eyes and, probably, ruin your appetite. I’ve been begging my husband to go to IKEA for the past few weeks without any luck.

I’ll, most likely, have to go there alone….and afraid. That place stresses me out. If you haven’t been to an IKEA, let me take you on a little visual tour. The place is gigantic….like an insanely huge warehouse filled with 25 or more of your very own dream rooms.

When you walk in, you’re greeted by the biggest petri dish on the planet….the kids playroom. Completely with ball pit. Germ fest going on there. Landon has never stepped foot in that room…we’re usually in and out in record time.

Head upstairs on the escalator and you weave through a maze like arrangement of modernly decorated mini abodes. Like room after room is a perfectly showcased urban oasis that you could just pull a tag off the wall and, basically, buy the whole room.

Next up, accessories….tons of them, like a sea of plate, posters, and fuzzy rugs. And finally….the cafeteria….with their famous Swedish Meatballs…which are really good but not as good as mine. This is the end of the tour….let’s whip up some meatballs, shall we?

Did I mention that I HATE going to IKEA? The place gives me a severe case of anxiety. I can’t stay more than 20 minutes MAX and never get to the point where I want to sit down to a plate of meatballs for $3.99.

No…I need to get home. So, to kill my Swedish Meatball craving I make my own. And they’re much better than IKEA. Like a thousand times better…because they’re homemade and because they’re amazing. 🙂

How to Make Swedish Meatballs

This easy Swedish Meatball recipe is super simple to make in less than 30 minutes. The Swedish Meatball sauce recipe is just a basic pan sauce that is made flavorful with the drippings and brown bits from the meatballs themselves.

To make authentic Swedish Meatballs:

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over med-high heat.

Add the onions to the pan and cook until softened. Allow to cool.

In a large bowl, mix the ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, milk, onion, salt, pepper, nutmeg and allspice until combined.

Form the mixture into 1 inch balls.

Heat the remaining olive oil in the skillet over medium heat and add the meatballs to the pan.

Saute the meatballs until golden brown on all sides, about 7-10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meatballs to a platter.

Drain off all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the skillet and return to the heat.

Add the flour to the pan and whisk until golden brown, approximately 1-2 minutes. Slowly add the beef stock and whisk until the sauce begins to thicken.

Whisk in the cream and continue to cook until the gravy is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Return the meatballs to the pan and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Serve over egg noodles, rice or mashed potatoes.

These Swedish Meatballs are really easy to make and come together pretty quickly. I like to pile them high on a mountain of buttered egg noodles tossed with a bit of chopped parsley. The blend of the two together is like nothing else.

What to Serve with Swedish Meatballs

Other than a pile of buttery egg noodles as the best thing to serve with these easy Swedish Meatballs, these are a few more of our favorites:

Instructions

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over med-high heat. Add the onions to the pan and cook until softened. Allow to cool.

In a large bowl, mix the ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, milk, onion, salt, pepper, nutmeg and allspice until combined. Form the mixture into 1 inch balls.

Heat the remaining olive oil in the skillet over medium heat and add the meatballs to the pan. Saute the meatballs until golden brown on all sides, about 7-10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meatballs to a platter. Drain off all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the skillet and return to the heat. Add the flour to the pan and whisk until golden brown, approximately 1-2 minutes. Slowly add the beef stock and whisk until the sauce begins to thicken. Whisk in the cream and continue to cook until the gravy is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Return the meatballs to the pan and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Serve over egg noodles, rice or mashed potatoes.

My family always got the frozen meatballs from Ikea when I was younger– we loved them! BUT I have a feeling that yours taste a million x better! That first picture had my mouth watering immediately! I can’t wait to try these! Pinned!

I love Swedish Meatballs and can’t wait to try your version! I can totally relate to your feelings about IKEA. We moved our son into a new apartment in a new city recently and spent (way too much) time in IKEA – very stressful place.

Hahahaha! I had to laugh at your very accurate descriptions of IKEA. I am a huge fan of the place. My hubby and I just went on Friday and packed a mini van full of home and office furniture. I’m pretty sure he won’t let me go back for many, many years after that one! Those meatballs there get me every time! I love making them at home too, but I’ll have to try this version for sure. They look amazing!!!

I love Swedish meatballs! My mom used to make them when I was a child and serve them with simple noodles and it was my favorite comfort food. I don’t make them nearly as often as I should but definitely need to try this recipe soon!

We had your meatballs for lunch today; SO GOOD. Just the perfect comfort food; it’s been gloomy, gray and rainy here for days and this meal seemed to perk us up. Thank you for sharing. It was easy to make and just the right flavor combo. Served with noodles (hubbys favorite side). Yummy.

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Hi! I'm Kellie and I LOVE food! Creating recipes and happy bellies is my favorite thing in the world. I believe a good life tastes great and my easy recipes help make that happen every day. Welcome to my little corner of the internet!